"Editorial
Some things worth more than money
Several months ago, the Eugene
Friends of the Farmworkers instituted a
lettuce boycott in Eugene against Safeway
stores to protest the use and sale of non
FFW-union scab lettuce to an
unenlightened consumer public.
That same group recently talked to
University President Robert Clark about
the implementation of this same scab
lettuce, used in the campus dormitories
and the EMU. A moral controversy
followed and finally the group was turned
down.
Clark said: “It is the responsibility of
persons interested in the cause of the
farmworkers to enlist the students to hear
their cause. The University should not
make the choice for them.
“If students can be persuaded,” Clark
added, “not to eat this lettuce ... it will
disappear from the shelves.” Clark said
that if students refuse to buy salads or
have lettuce on their hamburgers at the
Erb cafeteria and don’t eat it in the dorms,
the University will respond to the
pressure, and eventually change their
policy.
The issues surrounding this lettuce
boycott are not complicated, the situation
that had developed is.
The average farmworkmg family of
four in America has a total yearly income
of $2,800—well below the poverty level.
The working season for the lettuce pickers
often contains only about 83 days out of
each year and individuals (adult workers)
fluctuate from $1400 to $1800 a year in
average income.
Accidents, infant mortality and the
chance of disease is from 250 to 300 per
cent higher than the national worker’s
average; and the total lifespan of the
farmworker is only 49 years compared to
over 70 years nationally.
Clearly injustice and inequity have
been and is being committed upon the
farmworkers of California and in other
states. Moral ethics, University policy and
many other important moral issues also
all play an important part in the con
troversy.
The United Farm Workers lettuce
boycott issue, therefore, goes much far
ther than whether or not scab (non-union)
or UFW lettuce is sold in the Erb or used in
the University’s dormitories.
The UFW is not and never has been a
union which is made up of highly paid
executives or bureaucratic money-making
leaders. The UFW is the only farmworkers
union which has been able to unite the
many different ethnic and cultural classes
(the farmworkers) into one group.
This UFW union has constantly been
forced to struggle to gain even partial
recognition from the growers, and through
this lettuce boycott they hope to gain some
support from the consumer public also.
The only acceptable California iceberg
(head) lettuce, according to the UFW
group, is delivered in crates bearing the
UFWr trademark—a black eagle and the
initials ‘UFW’. The boycott not only
concerns the lettuce pickers but also
concerns every other type or kind of
manual farmworking labor that is ex
ploitive and unfair, they say.
This UFW head lettuce, and only this,
should be bought. Any other California
lettuce use remains only a substitute and is
not acceptable.
Lettuce coming from outside
California is not involved in the boycott,
and California Romaine, Endive or Red
Leaf is not also.
If President Clark needs to be ‘alerted’
to the urgency of student opinion on the
issue, then it is our responsibility as
students (and individuals) to make our
opinions heard. If students feel strongly
enough against the use of scab, non-UFW
union iceberg lettuce, then the students
(and also the faculty) as well as the
community should take a firm stand
against it.
Although President Clark says that he
does not “believe the University ought to
be used as a tool” of the farmworkers and
that “the University should not make the
choice” for students, the issue still en
dures.
It is up to everyone to either support
the lettuce boycott, and what it
represents overall, or they can continue
to allow the farmowners and produce
suppliers of this nation to use this
University and its consumer public as a
“tool” against the farmworkers and
students of America.
The University has the responsibility
to buy only UFW or non-California-iceberg
I lettuce, and not just act as a wholesale
purchasing agent taking the lowest bid
(quality-cost ratio) that is available . . .>
some things are worth more than money.
.etters
Election letters
Therf will be no limit on the number of
kitlers accepted by the Emerald during
Ita upcoming general ASUO presidential
election.
Letters intended for publication must be
typed, double-spaced and no more than 2541
J*ords in length. All letters must be signed
in ink with accompanying address, phone
number, and class status at the Univer
sity.
No more than one letter from any one
person will be accepted for each election.
All letters must be submitted to the
Emerald office. 301 Allen Mall no later
Ilian d p.m, Wednesday for the general
election to be held the following Monday
an(l Tuesday The early deadline is
necessary so that all letters may be
Published before election day. Letters
previously received and applicable to
candidates running in the general election
"ol be published.
Candidate interviews
interviews for possible Krnerald en
nrsement of presidential candidates in
I * general election will be conducted as
°*« candidates receiving the most
j.jJf ***' interviewed Wednesday at
the second runner-up at 4:15 p.m.
pmni*lvs w'*i be conducted in the
mer“ld office, :ioi Allen.
One more insult!
and c|0«e more lnsu*t from the University
,T frominently displayed in Rm
ders I ep*10ne Killing and Service Or
Sjpn, ,? Emerald Hall is the following
more ,rUpanc'y of this phone booth by
Prohibit a" <■ 153 students is strictlv
the | **” 'such an attitude on the part of
Universe,CrSlly may :ndicate why the
y is such a great place to be from.
Don Cramer
3rd yr. law
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WATERGATE
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Don't b«* careless
In the Wednesday UPI Roundup story
“Vietnamese announce POW release,” the
Emerald exhibited the kind of uncritical
reporting that helped gain popular ac
ceptance for our government’s Indochina
war.
South Vietnam is the southern part of
Vietnam. In South Vietnam, there are two
competing administrations called the
Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional
Revolutionary Government of South
Vietnam Both administrations have in
ternational recognition and both were
parties to the Paris agreement
To refer to the Republic of Vietnam
headed by Thieu as South Vietnam, or its
supporters as the South Vietnamese, is not
being objective. Worse, it supports con
tinued U.S. intervention in Indochina. If
that happens to be Emerald editorial
policy now, please tell us on the editorial
page If not, try not to be so careless.
Dennis Gilbert
Graduate student
Petty politicking
Again we see the juvenile and petty
politicking of the past years of Co-op Board
Elections in Ms. Reich’s letter of April 30.
Her letter is rife with spurious claims and
emorional appeals Item One. The use of
the Emerald for cheap publicity on
election day, while ignoring its use as a
public forum during the rest of the year.
Item Two: The attempt to seek election by
maligning the present Co-op board. Item
Three: The attempt to elect a clique of
friends to the board to gain “democratic”
control. Item Four: The presentation of a
program of action, on the part of the
novice board member, that the entire
board has been putting together over the
past year.
Congratulations to the Emerald for at
least the good sense to reject that part of
her letter with the names of Ms. Reich’s
“solid block of concerned people” (a
clique) and promoting an election where
the membership of the Co-op can vote for
individuals on personal merit.
Pieter T. Dykman
Graduate, Geography
Co-op Board Member
529-52-3605